War for the Planet of the Apes

The initial draw into the action with a chilling forest scene is still fine, but as soon as the generic piano motif trying to mine the viewer for emotion kicks in, it was clear that it was over and the third time was definitely not going to be the charm. This is a film that could have been anything: a war apocalypse to save the world, an ape odyssey, a grim post-apocalyptic ape drama. Unfortunately, however, it’s a bit of a patchwork of everything and as a result, it lacks a strong theme, something fatal compared to the previous episodes, especially the first one, which also had a nice "realistic natural disaster" feel to it. The acting of the rendered apes is a class above that of any real actors. Unfortunately, even Woody Harrelson picked a weaker moment and an absolutely bad movie. Two stars for the visual effects and (digital) expressions of the apes, which ironically were the only tangible, real ones. (10/14/2017)

Old Man Caesar. I was afraid that the purely war-themed ending wouldn't be dignified enough for this saga of primates and humans, but the opposite is true. It's not just an action ride; it's a multi-genre crossbreed that took my breath away with every change of storytelling spirit. From the almost palpable weight of the experienced leader's fate, through the mental battle of two strong personalities, to the escape, intensified by its unbearable tension. The last chapter even extracts so many emotions from me that I was surprised they were all just for the Planet of the Apes. Thanks to everyone who allowed Matt Reeves to have an impact on the script because War for the Planet of the Apes surpasses the thematically very close Dawn of the Planet of the Apes in everything. (12/30/2017)

My disappointment with the last film was so great that I avoided the trailers for the third one, feeling their uselessness. However, Reeves was either kept sedated or some brave producer really believed him, and I can hardly resist getting excited about arguably the boldest summer blockbuster in years. The opening action is still very forced, but then for the next hour, four monkeys, whose CGI rendering is a CGI reality approaching perfection, track a military unit through a snowy landscape at a slow but cinematically precise and deliberate pace. All the while, they are driven by the best possible cinematic engine, i.e., the desire for revenge. It was clear that all would be forgiven and I just prayed that it would keep going like this, as Michael Giacchino conducts the minimalist retro score and the cinematography flirts with the turn of the sixth and seventh decades of the last century. And that’s not all. Woody Harrelson varies the best possible creation of khaki madness spewed from the heart of darkness, and after the famous dialogue with Caesar, the film jumps on the dark wave of the erratic nature of desired good and the lure of ambiguous evil to bring it to an epic end. Even amidst the cheesy interludes and pathos of heroic self-sacrifice, it still keeps a grim face that relies on heroes who are no longer amusing apes who can do funny gestures, but solid figures whose emerging evolutionary supremacy is not to be doubted. (07/13/2017)

Don’t expect any real “war” – that takes about four minutes. The film is a slow, sensitively narrated “wandering” drama focusing on diverse characters and their emotional interactions, of course in perfectly designed natural settings. As in the last The Jungle Book, the motion capture performances of monkeys’ faces completely overshadow the live actors (including Woody Harrelson). The details of rendering their skin/fur are again a bit more technologically advanced than in previous Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. Incredible. (07/12/2017)

Four stars out of love for Caesar and out of respect for Matt Reeves' courage to make a film that is largely based on silence, gestures and slowness. Unfortunately, the attempt not to rush the culmination of the trilogy leads to the film completely sleeping through it. A strong opponent such as Koby is missing (and therefore the film must also evoke him at certain points, at least as a phantasm), and Woody Harrelson is very doll-like. It’s a bit of an easy template, a light version of Colonel Kurtz deprived of real demons. The introductory part is also captivating thanks to the inventive minimalism of Michael Giacchino and Seresin's detailed camera with variable depth of field. Unfortunately, the prison break in the second half drags on - it lacks energy and the supporting dilemma. The unraveling itself is imaginative and in the key of the entire trilogy, but the promised ape-apocalypse is not nearly as fatal and overwhelming as the trilogy imaginatively transmitting humanity to the monkeys deserves. The triumph is the incredibly detailed and precise animation and the acting of everyone involved. A slight disappointment. [70%] (07/12/2017)